Cannabis sales in Canada alone increased from $1.2 billion in 2019 to 2.6 billion in 2020. Exciting stuff, right? Well, unless you’ve got the right cannabis social media marketing strategies to breakthrough that market and get yourself seen, then you’ll risk getting swamped by every other cannabis retailer.

Marketing your products is about standing out. It’s about making yourself unique to other retailers, so that prospective customers will choose you instead of them. But a lot of it is easier said than done if you don’t have the right skills and knowledge about advertising cannabis on social media.

Cannabis on social media is a tricky subject due to all the stereotypes circulating around marijuana. While weed is now legal in Canada, and the industry is clearly booming, many retailers still don’t see the need to be marketing online. And if they do, then they usually feel hesitant about where to start and how to do it right to avoid getting banned on certain platforms.

Today we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about advertising cannabis on social media. We want to help you understand the ins-and-outs of the cannabis-social-media game, so that you have the best chance of standing out among the crowd.

You’ll learn why you need social media, the must-know rules, the best social media platforms to use, how to avoid bans, and we’re even throwing in some post ideas to spark your imagination. Let’s get right into it.

Should I Do Social Media Marketing for My Dispensary?

For the September 2021 reporting period, the Canadian Government reported that over 14 million packaged units of cannabis were sold across Canada for both medicinal and recreational purposes. So, what does that tell us? That the Canadian cannabis market is a mammoth one, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

While these stats are pretty encouraging for all those working in the industry, it’s also a friendly reminder that you’re not the only one. There are thousands of other dispensaries out there trying to get noticed, and if you don’t get in front, you’ll quickly and easily slip behind.

After years upon years of consistent growth, the number of social network users in Canada now stands at a record 31.8 million as of 2022. Now, of course not everyone on social media uses cannabis, but the fact to focus on here is that there are millions of people out there that you could be reaching. You never know who could suddenly spark an interest in marijuana, and there are already millions who are existing long-term fans.

Social media is a giant that can’t be ignored. If potential customers can’t find you on the platforms they spend the most time on, then how will they be able to purchase from you?

It’s clear that your social media presence is crucial now more than ever. Even if you already have a list of loyal customers, think about how many more you could be reaching if you implemented some strong social media strategies for your dispensary.

Cannabis Social Media Marketing Rules

Adding your own unique tone to your social media posts is a no-brainer, but there are some rules that you should follow to get the best results. These rules come from the Canadian Government’s Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations promotions and prohibitions section. The following promotion tactics are prohibited:

  • False or misleading cannabis promotion and marketing that is likely to create an erroneous impression about its characteristics, value, quantity, composition, strength, concentration, potency, purity, quality, merit, safety, health effects or health risks.
  • Communicating price or distribution information
  • Appealing to young persons (individuals under 18 years of age)
  • Using testimonials or endorsements, however displayed or communicated (section
  • Depicting a person, character or animal, whether real or fictional
  • Presenting the cannabis, accessory or any brand element in a manner that associates the product or brand with, or evokes a positive or negative emotion about or image of, a way of life, such as glamour, recreation, excitement, vitality, risk or daring
  • Sponsorship: The display, reference or use of cannabis brand elements or producer, seller, distributor or service provider names in promotions for the sponsorship of a person, entity, event, activity or facility.
  • Naming certain facilities: The display on sports or cultural facilities of cannabis or cannabis accessory brand elements or the name of a person that produces, sells or distributes cannabis, sells or distributes a cannabis accessory or provides a cannabis service.

Cannabis Social Media Marketing is Worldwide

Something else important to remember is that social media platforms aren’t limited to only Canadian consumers. Social media like Facebook and Instagram are there for all the world to see, and therefore must not “constitute, facilitate or promote illegal products, services or activities.” We’ll get more into the platforms a little later.

Although everything listed above can seem a little overwhelming, keep in mind that we’re here to show you how to promote within these regulations. It’s not all doom and gloom! Advertising cannabis on social media is easier than you might think.

Best Social Media Platforms for Marketing Cannabis

Facebook holds a massive 59.37% share of social media visits. And with Facebook having bought Instagram back in 2012, your efforts should focus more on these two social media goliaths.

That being said, your marketing efforts need to tiptoe a little around Facebook’s strict rules, which you can view here.

Instagram states that they don’t allow people or organisations to “use the platform to advertise or sell marijuana, regardless of the seller’s state or country. Our policy prohibits any marijuana seller, including dispensaries, from promoting their business by providing contact information such as phone numbers, email addresses, street addresses or by using the “contact us” tab in Instagram business accounts.”

However you can “include a website link in [your] bio information.”

Facebook and Instagram aren’t the only platforms you can use. Thanks to Mirror Review for summing up other great cannabis social networks:

  1. Grasscity
  2. WeedLife
  3. Weedable
  4. Bud Hubz
  5. MassRoots
  6. LeafWire
  7. Duby
  8. MJlink
  9. CannaSOS
  10. 420 Magazine Forum

How to Avoid Getting Your Dispensary Social Media Account Banned

To break things down, here are some general rules to follow when using Facebook or Instagram to prevent yourself from getting banned:

  • Avoid showing cannabis consumption. Your posts should avoid depicting any person consuming cannabis. This includes smoking a joint or bong.
  • Be careful with hashtags. Any hashtags related to marijuana are often shadow-banned, which means that any accounts using them won’t appear in people’s feeds or explore page. Keep up-to-date and research frequently to make sure you’re not using any risky hashtags.
  • Steer clear from boosting posts or showing ads. Actually, you won’t even be able to run any ads on Facebook or Instagram if they’re related to marijuana. Or if you do, then you can’t display anything cannabis-related, which makes things extra tricky. There are plenty of other ways to get noticed on these platforms, such as making consistent Reels. Reels are an Instagram tool for creating short, entertaining videos, and can create a nice stream of organic traffic.

In essence, always be careful with what you’re doing and triple-check each and every post. Check out some of our other top tips to avoid getting banned on social networks:

  • Create truly engaging, informational content.
  • Focus on your branding, rather than just the products you sell.
  • Build strong relationships with influencers.
  • Sell merch, such as sweats and caps.
  • Promote your friendly customer service.
  • Create a VIP program.
  • Engage with your followers in the comments.

Cannabis Social Media Post Ideas

Staring at a blank social media profile screen can be intimidating, so we’ve come up with a few ideas to get you going. You can turn these into normal photo posts, or make them into videos.

  1. Background on your business and why you started.
  2. A “meet our team” post.
  3. Quotes about marijuana .
  4. Fan art.
  5. Behind-the-scenes of your dispensary.
  6. Show how you package your products.
  7. Educate about the marijuana plant.
  8. What customers can expect from your loyalty program (if you have one).
  9. How customers can order online.
  10. Promote your blog posts.
  11. Memes!

Let’s Get You Started

Now that you know everything you need about cannabis and social media, it’s time to get the ball rolling. While you could start things off yourself, maintaining consistent posts and engagement is no easy feat. That’s why we’re to help. Get in touch with our friendly team today to see how we can help you boost your social network presence and get people to truly understand what you’re all about.